Take a Dance with Me
by Seth the Inu
Summary: University student Atemu does well in his classes, but is in need of money badly. When shown an ad for a job from a friend, he goes to investigates, but finds the place different from what he thought...as well as the manager.


**Chapter One: To Hire New Staff**

Our scene begins with a very confused looking teenager standing in front of a most unusual building, deep garnet eyes darting back and forth between the illuminated sign above the door, and the local newspaper held in his hand, depicting a circled job advertisement.

Attending his second year of university, Atemu Ishitsu knew that he needed to get a job to pay for the funds of the tuition, unable to turn to any living family members for help; his parents had passed away years ago, and any remaining members of his blood had turned their backs on the teenager, believing him to be an insult on the family name from the horrid connection to his outside mother. The tanned teen wasn't too picky about what he worked as, or where, just so long as someone could _hire_ him. What a blessing in a clever disguise of a nutter his best friend Mariku was.

Upon hearing of the younger male's problem, the bleached-blonde decided to help in searching for any miscellaneous jobs he could hear of. With great success, Mariku ran to Atemu, proudly presenting the advertisement to a greatly appreciative recipient. The details were sketchy and vague at the best, yet neither were interested, paying no attention to that detail. Or rather, lack of. Mariku was too busy puffing himself up, _proud_ of another successful mission accomplished, while Atemu just saw it as a stepping stone to a job opening that would help him pay for everything.

So, with that idea in mind, paper in hand, the determined male made his way to the provided address during his spare time, only to stop and stare, believing he had wound up in the wrong place by accident. The building in front of him seemed flashy, _too_ flashy, and not in the right way either. The neon lit sign displaying the words 'Lost Paradise' adorned the top area above the black-shaded windows that made it almost impossible to look through and see the inside. Deep blue painted walls made enough of a contrast against the black silhouetted shapes of girls displaying themselves in various demonstrative poses, decorating the brick wall.

But, despite the terrifying unease he felt just by standing in front of the basic door framed with thick velvet curtains that invited it's guests intimately, Atemu stepped into the building's interior, crimson eyes blinking to adjust to the multicoloured streaming lights flashing throughout the darkened room, before widening greatly in shock as he took in the rest of the place, realising the kind of place that this really was. He knew he had no preferences, but this was definitely _not_ the kind of job he was expecting.

Gorgeous women clad in provocative clothing danced on up-raised stages to the body-thumping beats of music, performing to watching spectators seated around tables, cat-calling and cheering the girls on, with a few other similarly-dressed females just as beautiful roaming around on the floor, trays covered with drinks and dishes balanced expertly on hands. Their faces couldn't be seen, hidden behind different types and styles, each one different to match the individual who wore it. Atemu watched with mixed emotions of concern and wonder at the long-haired blonde dancing with assistance from a simple pole set in the middle of her particular stage, dressed in a bright pink and baby blue outfit that covered all necessary areas, but left hardly left anything to the imagination. The short skirt flared around with her wild choreographed dance movements, petite top revealing skin around her stomach when she stretched too much. The lights caught on the few accessories used to decorate the outfit more, giving an illusion of mystery and intrigue.

'_That bastard Mariku set me up!_' Atemu thought to himself, forgetting the details behind the reason of his finding himself in this embarrassing situation. The hand holding the information of the job curled into an irritated fist, scrunching the paper up terribly, the rest of the teen's body shaking from withheld anger. '_Wait till I get my hands on him._'

Finding no reason to be acting like this around people who didn't know, people innocent in regards to his situation, he released a deep sigh of disappointment before turning abruptly on his heel to face the direction of the door to leave, hoping to once again begin his unwanted journey of job-hunting. _Alone_ this time. A charming voice however, carried with a sultry tone that knew how to draw in people to make them eager to respond, called out to the retreating form. "Hello there."

Surprised at the greeting, Atemu glanced over his shoulder, nervous red taking in the two that stood a few feet away from where the teen had paused. A tall Chinese woman stood with her arms crossed under her chest, staring with no expression in her brown eyes, hidden behind a feathered mask that drew back to merge with black hair pulled back into two buns on the side of her head, a few strands loose to fall and frame her face. A traditional Chinese dress hugged her body, showing all the curves she had, leaving pale arms bare to contrast against the yellow patterned deep red fabric trimmed in black, that reached to her ankles, a long split up one side to show flashes of skin when the wearer moved. Simple black stiletto heels were adorned on her feet, making the female taller than she was.

But it was her companion standing beside the woman that captured Atemu's attention. Clothed in an elegant yet basic light grey suit that was pleasing to the eye to look at, jacket having been left unbuttoned and open, a man stood in a relaxed stance, one hand resting on a cocked hip, the other hanging loose by his side. A lilac tie hung around his neck freely over a crisp white-button shirt, complimenting inquisitive, gleaming amethyst eyes that stared intently at the frozen teenager. Atemu took note of the older male's hair, styled in a very similar manner to his own, except without the extra golden bangs going up into the main part, instead replaced with a small bang that hung over a pale forehead. Not to mention the tips were lighter, more purple than red when standing in the right light.

The man's grin grew as he caught Atemu string at him, causing the edgy teenager to blush brightly, while the female continued to stand imposingly beside her companion. "Can I help you?" he asked, gazingenquiringly as he pushed a pair of black glasses on the top of his head, just behind his blonde bangs.

Waving a hand, the university student took a step backwards, closer towards his chance of freedom and away from the stunning couple. He attempted to keep the stammer out of his voice, cheering mentally at the plain tone instead of the squeak he felt like emitting. "Um, no, that's alright. I thought this place was hiring, but I guess I was wrong." He let out a small chuckle, adding false humour at the joke that he didn't feel, turning away to almost sprint for the doors. "I'll, ah, I'll just be going now."

"Not so fast," the tanned male heard the other mutter, before something wrapped around his chest, binding his arms securely to his side. Glancing over his shoulder, scarlet widened impossibly at seeing the male casually taking a seat confidently, while the female tugged the handle of the whip in her hand, forcing Atemu to also take a seat. '_What the hell?_'

"We do in fact have a job opening," the older man began, resting an arm on the top of the chair, leaning over it unceremoniously to look at the trapped Atemu better. His other hand reached up, loosening the knot of the purple tie around his neck as he explained more. "My girls here are a popular attraction to those who come and watch the shows, but I've lately been thinking of catering to a different crowd, if you catch my drift." A smirk and a sly wink was sent in the listener's direction, causing him to tense up even more than he already was, quickly glancing to his right at the observing woman that held his makeshift leash. "I could use someone like yourself here. I can tell that you'd end up being a real hit, I know."

Pushing himself back, amethyst silently calculated its visitor as a brow lowered in thought. "Are you a student?"

Confused at the question, Atemu merely nodded, wondering as to the direction of the conversation. And his fate if he tried to run now.

"Hm," the paler male breathed out, tapping a finger against his crossed legs. "I pay five times the minimum wage, plus you get to keep one hundred percent of tips made. It would be a great way to pay off those student loans of yours, plus perhaps even have a bit extra on the side too." He reached out, extending one hand in offering. "What do you say?"

Atemu felt his binds loosening, watching as the woman wound up her chord item before gliding to stand behind her boss, continuing to stare quietly. '_Five time,_' he thought to himself, red eyes gazing at the outstretched hand. '_I'd easily be able to pay everything. But..._' He raised his eyes to meet purple, contemplating the pros and cons of the situation. Realising that there was no better choice, Atemu grabbed the pale hand, shaking it nervously as he watched the other's smile grow. "I'll do it."

- O -

Having, almost reluctantly, accepted the job offer, Atemu was set to begin work on the floor as a waiter for the customers during the night shifts he had been scheduled on. He had been expertly fitted by the working girls into an outfit that flattered his body perfectly, drawing the customer's eyes to him, but comfortable enough for the teenager to work in.

The black vest buttoned up over the long-sleeved white shirt, where it was insisted that the first two buttons were left undone on the shirt, to hint at the muscles that were hidden under there, but leave them wanting (_craving_ was more the word used by one of the designers, but Atemu was reluctant to repeat it that way) more. Simple black dress pants hugged his hips and legs, accentuating and making the legs appear longer as they moved, the basic dark dress shoes reaffirming the fact. A mask was crafted uniquely for him, that covered only his eyes. Simple yet effective, the black was intermingled with diminutive swirls of reds and deep oranges that made the black-outlined garnet of his eyes stand out vividly, almost piercing.

Out of the five females that worked for Yuugi, Anzu had taken the responsibility to train Atemu while on the floor the skills of attending on their particular customers during his shifts. But as a group, once the work day were over, or during the day when the student had spare time and the club was closed, the girls would teach the inexperienced teenager the methods behind their styles of dancing used, helping the embarrassed male to use his body effectively against the customers and get the best offers from those who came to watch. In spite of his shyness however, Atemu proved to be a good student, learning the skills and techniques quickly after recovering from the initial shock of realising he would have to perform like that by himself, in front of unknown spectators.

The tri-coloured haired teen made sure that Mariku had gotten a hard whack as revenge, especially after laughing hysterically for at least a minute once the blonde had found out just what exactly the job _was_.

"It's not funny!" Atemu hissed through clenched teeth, glancing around to ensure no-on else had overheard the details of the conversation.

"Yeah, if you think about it, it is!" Mariku managed to get out between howls of laughter at the expense of his friend, body shifting to dodge the hand that was flung in his direction again to hit a sun-kissed arm. "Shy, little Atemu, dancing erotically to entertain strangers!" He turned to grab his glass of water to clear his dry throat, hearing his friend across the cafe table murmur lowly, "Oh really?" As Mariku glanced back to give another retorting remark that would end himself once more into fits of laughter most likely, he couldn't help but start choking on his mouthful of the liquid at the sultry look Atemu was sending him.

Chuckling at his friend's discomfort, the younger teenager turned back to his studies, books, pens and paper scattered across the table surface in one giant mess, flashing a grin at the shell-shocked blonde. "Dancing's not the only thing they're teaching me over there at work."

"I, uh, I don't think I really want to know the rest," the other mumbled, turning away to hide red cheeks. There were some things he did _not_ want to see from his best friend. "What about your manager?" he inquired curiously, changing the topic, having heard nothing of the owner except that he had hired his friend on the spot. "What kind of guy is he, to be running a joint like that?"

It was Atemu's turn to blush as the thought of Yuugi entered his mind. "He's, ah, well - I mean..." The teenager found it hard to describe his boss to Mariku properly; how were you supposed to explain someone's character reasonably when you felt attracted to that person? During his shifts working on the floor, improving his learnt skills, Atemu had noticed countless times the piercing amethyst eyes watching only him. At first, he had brushed the thought off as just a manager looking out for the new worker, but the subtle smirks and unmovable gaze filed away that idea. Since then, whenever his crimson eyes met with purple, an instant colouring would take over the teenager's cheeks, and his hands would start to shake nervously. Without doing anything towards him, Atemu had become deeply attracted to his manager, yet because of his shy nature was unable to do anything to Yuugi to demonstrate it.

Waving a hand in front of his spaced-out friend's face, Mariku watched in concern as distant red became lively again, staring at his own lilac in shock. "Hey, Atemu," the blonde called out, bringing his friend further out from the inner musings, worried about what had set it off. "Look, if he's that bad of a boss, you should quit then. No job is worth the hassle; I'm sure you could find another job that's better for you."

"Huh? What?" Squinting at the other in confusion, Atemu's mind finally registered the meaning behind the words. Shaking his hands frantically to ward off any more ludicrous ideas, the younger one defended his work. "No, no, no, that's not how it is! I was just thinking of the best way to explain my manager to you, but can't think of anything. He's a very hard man to describe properly." At the disbelieving lavender gaze sent towards him, Atemu nodded. "I'm telling you honestly - I swear."

"Uh-Huh."

"_I am_. Look, I like my job, I like my workmates and everyone, the customers are friendly despite their reasons for being there. The pay's good, and I can easily work with the hours and study. Everything is _fine_."

Mariku gave one last searching look over the younger teen, before sighing in defeat, effectively dropping the idea from noticing the truth behind his friend's words. "Alright then, alright. I believe you. But!" he said, watching amusedly at the large grin on Atemu's face freeze at the word, a finger raised as if to demonstrate that there was no other option. "I'm coming down to see you work one night. Just to be sure."

"EH?" Atemu almost yelled, staring bug-eyed at his smirking over-confident friend, who was leaning back in the chair with arms crossed smugly against the broad chest. His grin had faded, morphed into a frown of disbelief as the two began to argue over the condition, Mariku finding much amusement in the whole ordeal while Atemu couldn't help to keep the blush off his cheeks.

- O -

_It's not going to be a very long story, but it was an idea I had that appeared in my head that I had to write up. Atemu will end up being very OOC in this story however, but is necessary to work._

_This was originally split into two chapters, but I decided to merge them together from how short each would have ended up being apart._


End file.
